Banknote Design

Melding culture and advanced technology

They are part of our history and they embody culture, technology, and hundred-year-old traditions: banknotes are far more than just a means of payment, they establish national and cultural identity. A banknote is an extremely small space in which to reflect the culture of an entire country. Not only does designing a banknote demand an assured feeling for the esthetics required, but the designers must also take account at this stage of the technical security requirements that the banknote must meet now and in the future.

Individual consultation

It is important to achieve a perfect combination of design and security technology in order to do justice to our customers’ needs. G&D provides extensive advice about the visual design and technical feasibility of notes. Another demand that is made of modern banknotes is that they should be extremely durable to ensure that their security features are still clearly identifiable even after intensive use. G&D uses the ideal banknote substrate for the cultural and climatic conditions that can accommodate all required security features. Security features must be harmoniously incorporated into the overall appearance of the note in the form of portraits, colors, ornaments, patterns, and lines.

Close cooperation

If the customer has already commissioned a graphic artist to create the design, we involve them in the development process at an early stage. Ideally, this person will then work closely with G&D’s designers to create an initial draft of the specific appearance of the banknote. If the customer is using G&D’s own designers, they will start by researching the country’s cultural background, and possibly even visit it before drafting the digital layout of the banknote. On the one hand, this ensures that the country’s specific cultural characteristics are included in the design, and on the other, the G&D designers’ mastery of the various technologies ensures that the banknotes are given the maximum degree of counterfeit protection. They know how the security features work and they integrate these in their designs.